Memory
by awesomepossum
Summary: Some Danny and Aiden fluffyness. Post-ep for The Dove Commission. go DnA!


A/N: heyhey everyone! omg... two stories in two months? I'm on a roll! lmao how weird is that... and I know I'm a week and a half late, but what can you do? Oh well. Accept and enjoy. And read and review. 

disclaimer: nuh uh.

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"You did the right thing."

Danny looked up from the beer in his hand.

"Ya really think so?" he asked, staring into space for a split second before turning his gaze, if not his attention, to his colleague.

"Yeah... not many people would admit they were wrong like that, or apologize. Was real nice for the kid. He deserved an explanation from you anyways, with you gettin' all up in his face like that, like it was his fault. What was your problem, Danny? I've never seen you fly off the handle for no reason like that. Two more," she added, to the bartender.

"No more for me, Aid," Danny protested.

"Hey, make it one then," she corrected. "Anyway, yeah, what was with you?"

"Don't make a big deal of it," he said, his voice raising ever so slightly, subtly pleading with Aiden to drop the subject. She didn't pick up on the undertone and continued.

"Don't make a big deal? You're lucky it was me with you and not Mac, your ass woulda been suspended!"

"Maybe, okay? I just... I just don't like dealing with those people. Some o'them got no morals." He chased his last sentence with a final swig of his Coors.

"So now you're generalizin' people? You're stereotypin' 'em cozza - cozza what? You're not like that, Danny, why'dja do that, huh?" The bartender set the beer down in front of Aiden, who paid him no heed.

"It's nothing, okay?" he said, nearly shouting, and this time Aiden picked up on his resistance and backed off.

She sat, contemplating the situation in silence.

"But I just wanna know..."

"No! It's... it's... ugh," he sighed, smacking his open palm face down on the counter of the second-rate bar that he and Aiden situated themselves at after their latest case involving the gory, albeit heroic, death of a gypsy cab driver. "It... was a long time ago."

"Obviously it was important if it stuck with you so long," Aiden interjected.

"Yeah, okay, well some memories stick longer than others, right? I was ten." He sighed and pushed his empty bottle around the slick and cold marble counter top, watching the water trails it left rather than look Aiden in the eyes. "I was ten, and me and my dad were takin' a cab." His voice began to sound restricted, and Aiden's face instantly registered her concern as she leaned on the bar with one arm and reached the other around to touch Danny's shoulder. Her eyebrows knit, she gently squeezed his shoulder and nodded.

"Go on."

"Make a long story short, both me an' my dad got beat up. You can see why I don't like gypsy cabs all too much, hey?" he said, pulling her hand from his shoulder and holding it. "I know it was wrong to assume thatthat this guy was the same, but... ya never know. And yeah, I guess even after so long that memory's still with me but I still shouldn't 'a done that..." he trailed off.

"At least you apologized," said Aiden, hushed. She squeezed Danny's hand. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know-"

"Hey, whatever. S'done now." He reached over and picked up Aiden's beer from the counter and took a sip.

"Hey! Mine!" she said, smiling. He held the bottle up.

"Tastes so much better when it's somebody else's" he replied. She let go of his hand and snatched the bottle back, not drinking any, but simply setting it back down within her reach and slightly out of Danny's. She turned and leaned both her arms on the bar, smile gradually fading.

"I better get going soon," she said, flicking her glance around the shelves of alcohol.

"You gonna finish that?" asked Danny, reaching for her beer.

"Yes." she replied pointedly, a smile evident in her voice yet not on her face, and she took a swig, keeping her narrowed eyes on Danny's. When she was done and set it back on the bar, Danny grabbed it again.

"I thought you didn't want another one," she said, staring at the shared custody bottle.

"I don't, I just wanted yours."

"Why's that?"

"So I could annoy you," he replied cheekily, and he took another sip.

Aiden grabbed at the bottle as it was raised to Danny's lips and as she pulled it away, drops of the amber liquid spattered onto the surrounding area, the bulk of them landing on Danny's shirt.

"Hey!"

"Steal my beer, willya? Don't think so," said Aiden as she smirked victoriously and raised the bottle to her lips. Danny waited till she tipped her head back to drink and then nudged the bottom of the bottle so that the brew splashed over her face and dripped off her chin onto her shirt. Aiden's eyes opened wide in shock and she struggled to swallow as she slammed the beer down onto the counter. "Danny!" she smacked his arm.

"What?"

"That... that...oooh you're gonna pay for my dry cleaning bill!"

"Get out, that shirt doesn't need dry cleaning," Danny retorted, and it was true; the cotton shirt was as hardy as shirts come. "But I'll wash it for you if you want," he offered, "s'the least I can do."

"Damn straight," Aiden said, trying to sound pissed but grateful she wouldn't have to go too far in a beer soaked shirt; Danny's apartment was closer to the bar than hers. She chugged the last of her beer, laid a few bills on the bar and stood up, gingerly wrapping her coat around herself while avoiding the beer stain so her coat would remain dry. Danny pulled out his wallet and paid for his beer, then put his wallet away and slid his coat on as well, also avoiding the part of his shirt that was wet with alcohol. The two left the bar and headed out to the sidewalk, hailing a taxi, Danny making sure it was yellow. Aiden slid in first, taking her coat off as it was warm in the car, and Danny followed her in, following suit in the removal of his jacket. He gave the driver his address, the driver frowning as he smelled the beery aroma wafting from his customers. Aiden laughed as Danny made a face imitating the disgust of the driver and sat down beside her.

The drive only lasted about ten minutes, what with rush hour having been passed, and Danny paid the driver as Aiden slipped out the opposite side of the cab. Danny exited through his door, and as soon as he slammed it shut, the cab sped off in search of more fares to be made. Aiden met Danny on the sidewalk outside his apartment, jacket in hand.

"Thanks, Messer, didn't wanna go all the way over to my place smelling like beer," Aiden said as Danny turned and fell in step with her, his hand going subconsciously to the small of her back. Although the gesture went unnoticed by Danny, it wasn't missed by Aiden, who felt heat radiating through her thin shirt in the absence of her coat.

"No problem, hey it was my fault anyway, right? ...oh not really, you started it," he said.

"Don't even start with me," Aiden warned as they reached the lobby of the apartment. Danny took his hand from Aiden's back, finally noticing its location, and he pressed the up button for the elevator hoping Aiden thought nothing of the contact.

They stood in silence for a moment, waiting for the elevator. Aiden stifled a yawn and pressed her eyes with the hand that wasn't holding her jacket.

"Keepin' you up?" asked Danny.

"Li'l bit," she smiled.

The elevator doors slid open and Danny allowed Aiden to step in first beside the old man Danny didn't recognize. He pressed the button for his floor and the doors shut, leaving the pair to look at their reflections in the steel plates instead of the lobby. As soon as they were fully closed, a strange awkwardness filled the cab, the kind only found in elevators with strangers invading each other's personal space. The doors opened and Danny stepped into the hall, pulling Aiden by the elbow to lead her out of the cab. He'd noticed the old man giving her the once-over and became strangely protective, even though he had no reason to other than she was his friend. He let go of Aiden's elbow and once again guided her at her back up to his apartment door, this time placing his hand consciously.

Danny pulled the keys from his pocket.

"Did you see that?"

"Did I see what?" asked Aiden, confused.

"That- that creepy dude in the elevator," Danny replied, fighting with his lock while trying to keep eye contact with Aiden.

"Yeah, what about 'im?"

"He was checkin' you out," Danny whispered conspiratorially, as if the man could hear him despite being separated from them by at least a floor and double elevator doors.

"Yeah, so?" asked Aiden, smirking. She kinda had a thing for Danny and wondered if he felt the same way, and judging by his reaction to the old man staring at her, she figured she had a shot. She'd been thinking of ways to test the waters with him, and this event gave her hope to put her plan in motion. She brushed at the beer on her shirt. "This stuff's dryin' on me here, can we get the door open?"

"So impatient..." Danny muttered as he finally opened the door.

Aiden stepped into the apartment after Danny and laid her jacket across a chair in the front hall area.

"So d'you have a washing machine or do we hafta go to a laundromat or somethin'?" Aiden asked. It suddenly occured to her that she didn't have anything to wear while her shirt was being washed... perfect for her plan.

"Nah, I gotta machine here," said Danny, hanging up his coat to keep the apartment as relatively clean as possible. It wasn't dirty or messy, it was simply disorganized. Okay, a little bit messy, Danny thougt, as he shook off his shoes and rushed over to the kitchenette to sweep four days' worth of newspapers from the table. He turned around and found himself staring at a dark, balled up cloth. His eyes traveled from the cloth, to a bare arm, to a bare shoulder, to...

...Aiden, wearing nothing north of her waist save a silky red bra. Danny nearly had a heart attack. He backed up a step and blinked awkwardly, wondering if he was dreaming or if Aiden was really standing half-naked in his kitchen. She came closer, holding out her shirt.

"Well? Can we get this into the washing machine now?" she asked with a no-nonsense tone. She checked Danny's reaction... he was definately interested.

Danny stuttered for a moment.

"Uhh... um... can I get you something to wear?" he asked weakly, not wanting to stop staring at Aiden but not wanting to sound incredibly rude by not offering her something to cover up.

"Nah, I think I'll be okay," Aiden shrugged nonchalantly. Danny took her shirt from her grasp, and after a long inner struggle not to look at her chest, he nodded and ran off in the direction of the tiny alcove closet that housed his washing machine, undoing the buttons of his shirt on the way. Aiden followed him and caught up at the closet as he was putting both shirts and a capful of detergent into the swirling water. Thankfully, both shirts were dark and could be washed together to save time. Aiden crept quietly up behind Danny and rested her hand on his bare shoulder. He started, not having heard her approach, and turned around to face her. She smiled.

"Thanks for washin' the shirt, Danny, I-"

She was caught off guard by the look in his eyes, staring deep into hers. He stepped closer to her by a fraction, and she caught the scent of his cologne; she became suddenly overwhelmed by the sight, scent, and proximity of the man in front of her. Before she knew it, his lips were on hers and her hands were roaming over his bare back with his hands cupping her face. She pulled back slightly and placed her hand on his cheek, then leaned in again and closed her eyes, catching his lips and running her fingers through his dirty blond hair. His hands travelled to her bra and began to unlatch it as he pulled her with him towards his bedroom.

As the couple in Danny's bed tumbled to a stop, so did their laundry in the next room. A buzz sounded as the washing machine lay in wait to have its load removed, but neither Danny nor Aiden made any move to retrieve it. Instead, Aiden caught her breath as Danny collapsed onto his back, and all that could be heard throughout the apartment was the sound of heavy breathing.

"That... was... amazing," Danny panted, rolling onto his side and sweeping sweat-laden locks from Aiden's face. Aiden smiled and turned to face Danny.

"Were you expecting anything less?" Aiden queried with a smirk, cocking an eyebrow.

"Smart ass."

Aiden smiled and took Danny's hand in hers, then squeezed it as Danny pulled the covers up around them with his other hand. Aiden's eyelids started to fall and Danny pecked her on the forehead before switching off the bedside lamp.

"G'nite, Aid."

Aiden yawned. "Night..."

The word had barely left her mouth before she was fast asleep. Danny smiled and squeezed her hand.

Some memories stick longer than others... this one was going to be around for a long, long time.


End file.
